Few English cricket fans would have been thinking about U.S. monetary policy when they booked their trip to Australia for this year’s Ashes series.

But now that the contest has begun, these cricket fanatics are paying a brutal price for everything from burgers to beers thanks to the sky-high Australian dollar.

The currency has been edging higher for years, but it is now at dizzying levels as a mix of comparatively high interest rates, close economic links to China and a once-in-a-century rally in commodities has propelled it to new heights.

Sterling, by contrast, is limping under the weight of a tough recession and feeble interest rates.

The Aussie got an added boost in the run-up to November, when the U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced it was embarking on another round of bond-buying to try to stimulate economic growth.

All this adds up to bad news for hugely enthusiastic English cricket fans–known semi-affectionately as the Barmy Army–who travel the world to watch their beloved national team in action. The Ashes series, against the once-indomitable Australians, attracts an almost religious following. Thousands of fans have made the trip, at a huge personal expense in terms of flights and accommodation.

But while the Barmy Army once chanted “we’re fat, we’re round, three dollars to the pound,” at the opposing Australian fans, they are now wincing at the cost of everything.